EP2443376B1 - Pipe connector - Google Patents

Pipe connector Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2443376B1
EP2443376B1 EP10728922.5A EP10728922A EP2443376B1 EP 2443376 B1 EP2443376 B1 EP 2443376B1 EP 10728922 A EP10728922 A EP 10728922A EP 2443376 B1 EP2443376 B1 EP 2443376B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hub
pipe connector
connector according
seal
seal ring
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP10728922.5A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2443376A1 (en
Inventor
Bjørn PETTERSEN
Birger Vaage
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Subsea Design AS
Original Assignee
Subsea Design AS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
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Application filed by Subsea Design AS filed Critical Subsea Design AS
Publication of EP2443376A1 publication Critical patent/EP2443376A1/en
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Publication of EP2443376B1 publication Critical patent/EP2443376B1/en
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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L23/00—Flanged joints
    • F16L23/02—Flanged joints the flanges being connected by members tensioned axially
    • F16L23/032—Flanged joints the flanges being connected by members tensioned axially characterised by the shape or composition of the flanges
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L27/00—Adjustable joints, Joints allowing movement
    • F16L27/02—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction
    • F16L27/04—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces
    • F16L27/053—Universal joints, i.e. with mechanical connection allowing angular movement or adjustment of the axes of the parts in any direction with partly spherical engaging surfaces held in place by bolts passing through flanges

Definitions

  • the invention is a connector for pipes which are used for transportation of powder, grain, gas and fluids.
  • the connector is designed such that pipes with a moderate angular misalignment can be connected without bending of the pipes, and without loss of sealing capacity.
  • US 4 236 738 discloses a pipe connector for pipes having an angular misalignism, according to the preamble of claim 1.
  • Pipe flanges are often misaligned before connection. Common practice is to pull the flanges together with axial force and application of bending moment, until the flanges become parallel. This is necessary to generate sufficient preload of the flanges.
  • the flange bolts, or a clamp press the flanges (or hubs) together and generate two load paths in the process:
  • the load paths are shown in figure 1 as ribbons.
  • An axial force (P) will first reduce the compressive stress between the flanges, since the primary load path is more rigid than the secondary load path.
  • the flanges will remain in contact as long as the axial force is less than the preload between the flanges, and there will be no significant additional stretching of the bolts, and no significant increase of the bolt loads.
  • Preloading of misaligned flanges will normally result in bending of the pipes, and induce permanent bending stresses in the pipes. This may require stronger pipes to resist the internal pressure in the pipes.
  • the seal has a small contact area against the flanges, and it is made from a relatively soft material, compared with the flanges.
  • the preload must be low to avoid damaging the seal.
  • These connectors can be made up with an angle ( ⁇ ) between the pipe centerlines.
  • a tensile axial force will act practically directly on the bolts.
  • the bolts will stretch, the flanges will move apart, the seal will slip in its seats, and leakage will begin.
  • the present invention provides a pipe connector which avoids one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks found with prior art connectors.
  • the pipes can be connected without changing the angular misalignment.
  • the connector is designed such that preload can still be achieved directly between the flanges, bypassing the seal.
  • Figure 3 shows a section through the invention.
  • Hub B with the thrust ring has four spherical surfaces.
  • the surfaces have their common center approximately at the center of the seal ring.
  • the four spherical surfaces are located:
  • the spherical surfaces at the interface of hub B and the seal ring shall provide sealing of the pipe. This shall also seal when hub B has an angular misalignment in relation to the seal ring.
  • hub B The surfaces at the interface of hub B and the inside of hub A function as a guide for hub B during connection. It is also a suitable location for a back-up seal.
  • the spherical surfaces at the interface of the thrust ring and hub A shall primarily transfer axial force, and provide a load bypass of the seal ring. This also applies to the spherical surfaces at the interface between the thrust ring and the retainer. Note that the thrust ring and its location is a major difference between this invention and other similar inventions.
  • Hub B may be fitted with a 'nose' (7) for guiding during connection.
  • the nose slides against the inside of hub A, centering hub B in relation to hub A, before hub B comes in contact with the seal ring. This is to avoid damaging the seal ring. It is particularly important for large and heavy connectors. See figure 3 .

Description

    Technical field of the invention
  • The invention is a connector for pipes which are used for transportation of powder, grain, gas and fluids.
  • The connector is designed such that pipes with a moderate angular misalignment can be connected without bending of the pipes, and without loss of sealing capacity.
    • Background
  • US 4 236 738 discloses a pipe connector for pipes having an angular misalignement, according to the preamble of claim 1.
  • Pipe flanges are often misaligned before connection. Common practice is to pull the flanges together with axial force and application of bending moment, until the flanges become parallel. This is necessary to generate sufficient preload of the flanges.
    • Figure 1 shows the principle:
  • The flange bolts, or a clamp, press the flanges (or hubs) together and generate two load paths in the process:
    1. a) A primary load path between the flanges around each bolt or clamp interface.
    2. b) A secondary load path between the flanges and the seal ring
  • The load paths are shown in figure 1 as ribbons.
  • An axial force (P) will first reduce the compressive stress between the flanges, since the primary load path is more rigid than the secondary load path. The flanges will remain in contact as long as the axial force is less than the preload between the flanges, and there will be no significant additional stretching of the bolts, and no significant increase of the bolt loads.
  • Additional axial load after the flanges have separated will act directly on the bolts. The bolts will stretch, the flanges will move apart, the seal will slip in its seats and leakage will begin. The flange preload is what secures the connection against leakage.
  • Preloading of misaligned flanges will normally result in bending of the pipes, and induce permanent bending stresses in the pipes. This may require stronger pipes to resist the internal pressure in the pipes.
  • There are other types of connectors where the flanges are not in contact with each other, or only partly in contact. The preload between the flanges acts instead through the seal ring.
    • See figure 2.
  • The seal has a small contact area against the flanges, and it is made from a relatively soft material, compared with the flanges. The preload must be low to avoid damaging the seal.
  • These connectors can be made up with an angle (α) between the pipe centerlines.
  • A tensile axial force will act practically directly on the bolts. The bolts will stretch, the flanges will move apart, the seal will slip in its seats, and leakage will begin.
  • These connectors are not suitable for high pressure pipes.
    • Description of the invention
  • The present invention provides a pipe connector which avoids one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks found with prior art connectors. The pipes can be connected without changing the angular misalignment. The connector is designed such that preload can still be achieved directly between the flanges, bypassing the seal.
  • Figure 3 shows a section through the invention.
  • It consists of the following parts:
    1. 1) Hub A, or a first hub
    2. 2) Hub B, or a second hub
    3. 3) Retainer (ring)
    4. 4) Seal ring
    5. 5) Bolts or segmented clamp
    6. 6) Thrust ring (A spherical flange on the hub B)
    7. 7) Nose (part of hub B)
    8. 8) Backup seal
    9. 9) Environmental seal
  • Hub B with the thrust ring has four spherical surfaces. The surfaces have their common center approximately at the center of the seal ring. The four spherical surfaces are located:
    • At the interface with the seal ring
    • At the interface with hub A (nose of hub B against inside of hub A)
    • At the interface with hub A (Thrust ring against hub A)
    • At the interface with the retainer.
  • The spherical surfaces at the interface of hub B and the seal ring shall provide sealing of the pipe. This shall also seal when hub B has an angular misalignment in relation to the seal ring.
  • The surfaces at the interface of hub B and the inside of hub A function as a guide for hub B during connection. It is also a suitable location for a back-up seal.
  • The spherical surfaces at the interface of the thrust ring and hub A shall primarily transfer axial force, and provide a load bypass of the seal ring. This also applies to the spherical surfaces at the interface between the thrust ring and the retainer. Note that the thrust ring and its location is a major difference between this invention and other similar inventions.
  • Hub B may be fitted with a 'nose' (7) for guiding during connection. The nose slides against the inside of hub A, centering hub B in relation to hub A, before hub B comes in contact with the seal ring. This is to avoid damaging the seal ring. It is particularly important for large and heavy connectors. See figure 3.
  • The make-up sequence of the invention is as follows: (See figure 3)
    • The seal ring (4) is installed in hub A (1).
    • Hub B (2) is pushed against hub A.
    • Hub B is centered by hub A. (Nose (7) against inner diameter of hub A).
    • Hub B enters over the seal ring.
    • The segmented clamp (5) is mounted on the outside of the hubs. The retainer (3) is part of this clamp.
    • The clamp is tightened, and clamps the thrust ring between hub A and the retainer. The angular misalignment of hub B remains unchanged.
  • When the invention is loaded by a tensile axial force:
    • The tensile force follows this load path: Hub B - thrust ring - retainer - clamp - hub A. The tensile axial force bypasses the seal ring.
  • When the invention is loaded by a compressive axial force:
    • The compressive force follows this load path: Hub B - thrust ring - hub A. The compressive axial force bypasses the seal ring.
  • Further preferred embodiments of the invention
    1. a) There may be a small clearance between the thrust ring and the retainer / hub A after connection, such that hub B can rotate about a transverse axis. This will allow the hub to adjust to pipe displacement after installation, without causing significant bending moment on the connection.
    2. b) A dynamic connector (flex joint) is a connector where the angle of rotation about
      a transverse axis varies repeatedly. The invention can be used as a flexible joint of a pipe, when clearance between the thrust ring and the retainer / hub A are combined with a suitable (dynamic) seal ring.
    3. c) Each hub may consist of two different pieces, see figure 4a and 4b: An inner hub (10, 12) which interfaces with the seal, and an outer hub (11, 13) (or flange) which interfaces with the other outer hub (11, 13) and the retainer/clamp (3, 5). The outer hubs may be manufactured in a different material from the inner hubs, and be interference fit over the inner hubs. The purpose of this is to optimize the material characteristics of the various parts of the connector.
    4. d) The interface of the retainer/clamp (3, 5) with the hub and thrust ring may be non- spherical as shown in figures 4a and 4b. The clamp will adapt different positions depending on the angular misalignment of the hubs. This arrangement allows use of a narrower clamp, and reduces the total width of the connector and provides a uniform load distribution.

Claims (10)

  1. A pipe connector for connection of pipes having a moderate angular misalignment, comprising a first hub (1) and a second hub (2), wherein the second hub (2) comprises an external thrust ring (6) and a nose (7), the thrust ring comprising a spherical inner and outer surface, said thrust ring being pressed and locked against the first hub (1) by a clamping device (5) during connection, a seal ring (4) being in contact with an inner surface of the first hub
    characterized in that
    the seal ring (4) is in contact with an inner spherical surface of the nose (7), said seal ring (4) being wide enough to bridge and seal a gap between the inner surface of the nose (7) and the inner surface of the first hub.
  2. Pipe connector according to claim 1, wherein a clearance between the thrust ring and the first hub or the clamping device allows the second hub to rotate about a transverse axis and adjust to pipe displacement after the connection is made up.
  3. Pipe connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the seal ring (4) is suitable for dynamic movement.
  4. Pipe connector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connector is provided with a back-up seal (8) for the seal ring (4).
  5. Pipe connector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the connector is provided with environmental seals (9) to prevent intrusion of external medium into the connector.
  6. Pipe connector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first hub and the second hub each comprise an inner hub (10, 12) weldable to the pipe, and an outer hub/flange (11, 13).
  7. Pipe connector according to claim 6, wherein the inner hub (10, 12) and the outer hub/flange (11, 13) are constructed from different materials.
  8. Pipe connector according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the outer hub/flange (11, 13) is interference fit or mechanically attached to the outside of the inner hub (10, 12).
  9. Pipe connector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamp (5) has non-spherical contact surfaces with the first hub and thrust ring (6), such that the clamp adjusts to the misalignment of the hubs during connector make-up, and produces a uniform load distribution around the first hub and thrust ring (6).
  10. Pipe connector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the parts of the inner surface of the first hub which are in contact with the seal ring comprise a conical surface.
EP10728922.5A 2009-06-15 2010-06-15 Pipe connector Active EP2443376B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NO20092309A NO331285B1 (en) 2009-06-15 2009-06-15 Coupling for rudder with angular deviation
PCT/NO2010/000230 WO2010147479A1 (en) 2009-06-15 2010-06-15 Pipe connector

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2443376A1 EP2443376A1 (en) 2012-04-25
EP2443376B1 true EP2443376B1 (en) 2014-07-09

Family

ID=42660458

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP10728922.5A Active EP2443376B1 (en) 2009-06-15 2010-06-15 Pipe connector

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US20120119487A1 (en)
EP (1) EP2443376B1 (en)
NO (1) NO331285B1 (en)
WO (1) WO2010147479A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2011150498A1 (en) * 2010-06-04 2011-12-08 Anton Marincic Misalignment coupling
IT201800009957A1 (en) * 2018-10-31 2020-05-01 Tapel Di Mastromatteo Ciro & C Sas TIGHTENING FITTING FOR PIPES INCLUDING AN SWINGING FLANGE
NO345420B1 (en) 2019-08-01 2021-01-25 Subseadesign As A multi-bore connector
NO345972B1 (en) * 2019-09-13 2021-11-29 Subseadesign As A wellhead system
NL2026033B1 (en) * 2020-07-09 2022-03-11 Wavin Bv Pivot joints, kits of parts for assembling pivot joints, manhole bases, manholes, water transport systems, and methods of assembling water transport systems
CN115013613B (en) * 2022-05-16 2023-08-18 芯三代半导体科技(苏州)有限公司 Pipeline connecting assembly

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2424897A (en) * 1944-12-12 1947-07-29 Acrotorque Co Universal conduit joint
US3230708A (en) * 1961-10-27 1966-01-25 Thiokol Chemical Corp Steerable rocket motor with gimballed nozzle means and cooling means
US3329449A (en) * 1964-12-02 1967-07-04 Curt P Herold Sealed swivel joint for fluid systems
DE1945523A1 (en) * 1969-09-09 1971-03-11 Martin Herter Ball joint pipe connection
NL7704152A (en) * 1977-04-15 1978-10-17 Kreber Maschf Bv BALL HINGE COUPLING FOR TWO TUBE ENDS.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NO331285B1 (en) 2011-11-14
US20120119487A1 (en) 2012-05-17
EP2443376A1 (en) 2012-04-25
NO20092309L (en) 2010-12-16
WO2010147479A1 (en) 2010-12-23

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